Following in his father’s footsteps once seemed like a punishment to Andrew Purdy.

This week, he will consider it a privilege.

Bruce Purdy — everybody called him “Poppie” — died on June 25 of complications from a brain
tumor at age 63, before he could complete his quest to cover all 1,444 miles of the Buckeye
Trail.

The resident of Grove City began the journey in 2011, only to have it interrupted first by an
injury, then by his fatal illness.

“My dad was very upset that he was unable to finish it,” said Andrew Purdy, 36, of Virginia
Beach, Va.

“It just tore him up.”

On Wednesday, near Salt Fork State Park in Guernsey County, the oldest of Poppie’s three
children will step into the woods to start on the final 130 miles that his father didn’t walk.

Andrew plans to hike for four days this week (through Saturday), then finish early next year —
his next opportunity for a leave from the Navy.

“This is my way to honor him and give him what he deserves,” the son said.

Even in his final days, Poppie had the trail completion on his mind, according to a friend who
accompanied him on many hikes.

“The nurse said to him that she heard he was going to be doing therapy soon, and he told her, ‘
My therapy is the Buckeye Trail,’” said C.W. Spencer of Fort Thomas, Ky.

As a child, Andrew didn’t always see eye to eye with his father.

When he got into trouble, his dad sometimes demanded that he shadow him after school. (Poppie
taught drafting at Grove City High School.) That might involve sitting in detention — which Poppie
was moderating — or tagging along to odd jobs that his father accepted to make extra money.

“I got a lot of mentoring from my dad,” Andrew said. “He was trying to teach me to be
responsible.”

Later, Poppie led Andrew and his Boy Scout troops on hikes. Their relationship improved after
Andrew joined the Navy — again following in Dad’s footsteps. Poppie served from 1969 to 1974.

Andrew is a crew member of the USS Shamal, a coastal patrol ship. During his leaves, he and his
father would go on outings together.

“My dad loved hiking because it separated him from the busyness of the city,” Andrew said. “He
had time to really think and reflect. When we went out hiking together, we didn’t talk a lot, but
there were a lot of unspoken words.”

Poppie had hiked along some short routes on the Buckeye Trail, which loops through the Hocking
Hills, up to Lake Erie and around the state.

Not until he retired in the spring of 2011, however, did he set his sights on a nonstop hike of
the trail.

About 1,100 miles into the trip that fall, he suffered a serious foot injury, tearing tendons
and ligaments. He underwent surgery, then developed complications, costing him virtually all of
2012.

In March, he was looking forward to hiking again when family members noticed a problem.

“He asked me when my baby was due,” said Candice Purdy, Andrew’s wife, “because he was making
her a crib and wanted to get it done.”

Andrew and Candice had welcomed their second child, daughter Olivia, two months earlier (son
Wyatt is 3).

“I’m like ‘Poppie, you’ve already seen Olivia; you came up and visited in the hospital when I
had her,’” Candice said.

A malignant brain tumor was discovered and removed, but Poppie never fully recovered. He was
buried with one of his wooden hiking sticks.

Andrew and his father had talked of hiking on the Appalachian Trail in 2015, when Andrew is to
get out of the Navy.

Instead, he will spend a big chunk of his Thanksgiving leave on the Buckeye Trail, with other
relatives and several of Poppie’s friends joining him at times. Andrew will wear his father’s
favorite hat and use one of his hiking sticks and most of his backpacking gear.

“I’m going to type up memorial cards, laminate them and attach them to the boots,” Andrew said. “
I’m going to tie one of those boots to a tree at the beginning of the hike and the other one at
the end.